Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-03-21

some high lands somewhere that have
| filled the underground reservoir. which
only needs an opening to supply
the town with such streams as the
aperture could flow.
After several smaller wells had
been dug, it was decided by citizens
in the lower section of the town Twill
| LACEY to club together and sink we'll
for culinary. fire and other purposes.
They were to put down two inch
hole, which they thought the water
would enlarge sufficiently to put down
a three inch pipe, when they were to
adjust the pipe and have matters ar
ranged to their convenience. Ac-
cordingly they sunk the hole to a
depth of 1913 feet. and water was
struck which was discharged with
great force. In the attempt TO shove
down three inch casing pipe the
water broke up around the casing.
and soon got beyond all control. The
situation was serious, the hole was
washed out to be two feet in diane
ter By no means at hand could it
be stopped. Two streams II feet
in width and a foot deep were run
ging away, and right down through
the streets of the town. Immense
quantities of sand were discharged,
and the matter was a most serious
one. Engineers were sent for, and
effort was made, either to stop the
water, or to sink pipe of sufficient
size to convey it, through which it
could be got out of town. A sixteen
inch pipe was put down a feet, but
with no practical benefit. The next
plan was to sink a big cone made of
boiler iron into the hole. This was
filled with sand and cement. and
sunk, small end first, into the
hole. This for time shut off quite
a portion of the water, and promised
success, but soon sank down out of
sight, and the water flowed on as be-
fore. An estimate of the flow of wa
ter was made and it was ascertained
that not less than 5,O0O,000 gallons
were discharged every a hours. This
drain exhausted the wells on the
higher grounds, and did much dam
age in this respect. In the meantime
stone and other material had been
dumped into and around the hole. so
that the flow was lessened. and wa
ter again flowed from the wells in the
upper part of the town.
The officers of the town advertised
for bids and offers TO either stop the
water or to control it. Finally par
ty agreed to do the job for S2,000,
and it was undertaken. His project
was to sink an Is inch tube down the
hole to relieve the flow of water, and
then to pack the outside of it with
such material as would stop the out
side flow. As this letter is being
finished, the time of the contract has
nearly expired, and the big tube pro-
ject seems to be a failure some of
the smaller tubes first put down, or
the big cone has been struck, and
the contractor is unable to sink his
Is inch pipe deeper by any means
vet employed. 1t is hoped he will
succeed both for his own good and
the benefit of the town. If he does
not succeed he gets nothing FOR the
job. During one stage of the job
a man in diving armor went down 100
feet in the hole, and by some acct
dent came very near losing his life
He will not be likely to 90 down into
another well very soon.
Since the wells in this town have
been in successful operation, others
have been sunk i'll vicinities four
to six miles away, all of which are
If success is met with
or controlling the water in
this big well, [ will inform YOUR
readers hereafter.